Geek Squad "propietary" tools?

[ComputerClinic]

Out of curiosity I was checking out the geeksquad website, and on this page they claim to use there own special tools for malware removal. Does anyone know what this is all about? What makes their tools so special? Just curious...

 

[usacvlr]

They use pretty much the same stuff we all do. They have an automated CD with a bunch of buttons to run the programs for them. You can play around with their toolkit. The various versions are on bittorrent.

 

[iisjman07]

The whole program they use is a custom built all-in-one program called the 'MRI'. For malware removal they use something called F.A.C.E (Facilities Accuracy, Consistency & Efficiency), which runs automated scans with :
- Kaspersky Antivirus
- Panda
- McAfee VirusScan
- Trend Micro VScanTM
- Webroot System Analyzer
- Spyware Doctor
- A-Squared

The best part is that it can all be run from a vistaPE style bootable environment, whilst still being automated.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask

 

[NickCat11]

The whole program they use is a custom built all-in-one program called the 'MRI'. For malware removal they use something called F.A.C.E (Facilities Accuracy, Consistency & Efficiency), which runs automated scans with :
- Kaspersky Antivirus
- Panda
- McAfee VirusScan
- Trend Micro VScanTM
- Webroot System Analyzer
- Spyware Doctor
- A-Squared

The best part is that it can all be run from a vistaPE style bootable environment, whilst still being automated.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask

Where did you get it? Torrent?

 

[JosephLeo]

The whole program they use is a custom built all-in-one program called the 'MRI'. For malware removal they use something called F.A.C.E (Facilities Accuracy, Consistency & Efficiency), which runs automated scans with :
- Kaspersky Antivirus
- Panda
- McAfee VirusScan
- Trend Micro VScanTM
- Webroot System Analyzer
- Spyware Doctor
- A-Squared

The best part is that it can all be run from a vistaPE style bootable environment, whilst still being automated.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask

Yeah, I thought those screenshots weren't allowed here on TechNibble- or even in the eyes of a non-agent.

 

[NYJimbo]

Out of curiosity I was checking out the geeksquad website, and on this page they claim to use there own special tools for malware removal. Does anyone know what this is all about? What makes their tools so special? Just curious...

"Special tools" my ass. Maybe special to noobs and end-users but it's just the same generic stuff we in the business use.

Reminds me of the old Calgon commercials from the 1970's (for those of you old enough to rememeber) "Ancient chinese secret":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yW6vObBOVE

If you are over 40 you have probably heard the phrase "Ancient chinese secret" countless times (at least in the USA).

 

[JosephLeo]

"Special tools" my ass. Maybe special to noobs and end-users but it's just the same generic stuff we in the business use.

Reminds me of the old Calgon commercials from the 1970's (for those of you old enough to rememeber) "Ancient chinese secret":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yW6vObBOVE

If you are over 40 you have probably heard the phrase "Ancient chinese secret" countless times (at least in the USA).

I never knew that's where the "Ancient Chinese secret" reference came from . I always said it my whole life when I figured out how to do something that I didn't know what I was doing.

Accidently fixes bicycle chain....How did you do that Joe?...Ancient chinese secret.

Yeah, I was a corny kid

 

[ComputerClinic]

Yeah i figured it wasn't anything great. So they scan with 7 different programs before attempting a manual removal? Seems like they have it backwards to me...

 

[iisjman07]

Yeah i figured it wasn't anything great. So they scan with 7 different programs before attempting a manual removal? Seems like they have it backwards to me...

The way they do it is they boot into their custom vistaPE image, which automatically loads the registry and a custom 'redirection driver'. This driver basically tricks the apps into thinking they're running on the host machine, rather than the bootable environment. Once all the scanners are done, a screen is presented where you can disable startup items, services, drivers, and policies (such as to disable task manager).

 

[K007]

"Special tools" my ass. Maybe special to noobs and end-users but it's just the same generic stuff we in the business use.

Reminds me of the old Calgon commercials from the 1970's (for those of you old enough to rememeber) "Ancient chinese secret":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yW6vObBOVE

If you are over 40 you have probably heard the phrase "Ancient chinese secret" countless times (at least in the USA).

I am well over 40, but to me is new and very funny.
Thanks.

 

[gambit]

At least they stopped stealing the software - or are they?

http://www.crn.com/185302716;jsessionid=R1ZOBSVOA1FLBQE1GHRSKH4ATMY32JVN

 

[basic]

At least they stopped stealing the software - or are they?

http://www.crn.com/185302716;jsessionid=R1ZOBSVOA1FLBQE1GHRSKH4ATMY32JVN

That article is over 3 years old. I believe they are now limited to a certain set of licensed software.

 

[Nerm]

Yeah i figured it wasn't anything great. So they scan with 7 different programs before attempting a manual removal? Seems like they have it backwards to me...

They never attempt a manual removal because they wouldn't even know where to begin.

 

[iisjman07]

They never attempt a manual removal because they wouldn't even know where to begin.

Realistically true (or is it unrealistically?(who cares the gist is they're sh*te!))

 

[NYJimbo]

Geeksquad is a joke. I had a perfect example of how bad they are this morning.

Guy brings in a Toshiba A135 laptop, seems the DC jack is all wiggly and he's got no power. He took it to BestBuy (geeksquad) and they test it with the customers AC adapter and tell him the machine needs a new motherboard, its going to be about $250 or more and will take about 10 days. He decides thats too much and goes home and comes to me a few days later.

Turns out the DC jack is fine, its the clients AC adapter, which I ALWAYS test and then test the laptop with my universal Targus adapter. The plug was wiggling because the A135 uses a slip-fit jack with a harness, not a soldered jack and while the wiggle isn't the problem, the AC adapter plugs tiny internal tension springs in that model were spread apart and not making contact.

I took the time to quickly google "Toshiba A135 DC Jack" and "toshiba a135 disassembly" and found an internal photo to prove the motherboard isnt even near the DC jack:

http://www.irisvista.com/tech/lapto...ke-apart-laptop/toshiba-satellite-A135-18.jpg

I didnt charge the customer anything and all he needs is a new adapter. I even warned him to be careful of the pin sizes and explained how to find one on ebay via the P/N of the Toshiba, not the model/tag number to get a precise match. The guy was amazed I pulled up all that info in a minute, explained about the fit of the jack and showed him how wrong GS was.

Geeksquad would never do that kind of work with a customer, I dont think they even know how to research this stuff.

 

[C.Quill]

Yeah i figured it wasn't anything great. So they scan with 7 different programs before attempting a manual removal? Seems like they have it backwards to me...

I used to work there, trust me it is.
I'm amazed at the speed I can remove infections now, as compared to doing everything the "Geek Squad" way.

It's all for hype and very ineffective. You might as well google "Geeksquad AJU" or Agent Jonny Utah Geeksquad. While you're at it.

You'll learn another one of there little secrets.

 

[NickCat11]

Geeksquad would never do that kind of work with a customer, I dont think they even know how to research this stuff.

+1, they won't do any research period. I wonder how many good motherboards they switch out on a weekly basis due to a misdiagnosis. Pretty soon their fix for a virus is going to be a "motherboard swap".

 

[JosephLeo]

+1, they won't do any research period. I wonder how many good motherboards they switch out on a weekly basis due to a misdiagnosis. Pretty soon their fix for a virus is going to be a "motherboard swap".

My mother sent in her laptop for screen replacement a month or two ago (She had the warranty, so she figured why go through me and cost $100-something for a screen when she can just use her warranty)

They fixed the screen alright- but they also swapped the "dead" hard drive with all of her customers information and financial information. by dead, I mean completely perfectly working and optimized like hell. But of course Geek Squads excuse was "We ran some diagnostics and the hard drive showed up as dead".

Did I mention he no longer had an OS and that she would have to buy her OS again as well as be charged for installing it....OH and the personal data? Well, as luck would have it I setup a NAS just one week prior. The sad thing- we asked Geek Squad for our hard drive or request that it be destroyed- they said that they "lost it"...yeah, great story.

What was supposed to cost my mother $0 wound up costing her $300, her customers trust and some personal information. Moral of the story? Geek Squads guarantee is worth as much as the stuff you flush down the toilet.

 

[ComputerClinic]

I used to work there, trust me it is.
I'm amazed at the speed I can remove infections now, as compared to doing everything the "Geek Squad" way.

It's all for hype and very ineffective. You might as well google "Geeksquad AJU" or Agent Jonny Utah Geeksquad. While you're at it.

You'll learn another one of there little secrets.

I knew that their "technicians" were mostly salesmen, but I didn't expect them to be ONLY salesmen. Outsourcing to India...wow.

Now here's a question: would you feel comfortable revealing this information to customers and if so, how would you go about it? Any time a client mentions the geek squad, I'm not really sure what to say.

 

[JosephLeo]

I knew that their "technicians" were mostly salesmen, but I didn't expect them to be ONLY salesmen. Outsourcing to India...wow.

Now here's a question: would you feel comfortable revealing this information to customers and if so, how would you go about it? Any time a client mentions the geek squad, I'm not really sure what to say.

I would point them in the direction of The Consumerist and tell them to search for "Geek Squad" and "Best Buy" on there, followed by some Consumer Reports stuff.

That is, if they ever ask me about Geek Squad or Best Buy. I will never make it into a conversation. Talking about how bad another company is so unprofessional (I'm looking at you Apple.). Instead I will just try to tell them why I am good instead of why Geek Squad is bad. They will do the assumption part themselves.